Wolfgang Hampel. Founder of Betty MacDonald Fan Club and Betty MacDonald Society for Betty MacDonald Fans all over the world.
Wolfgang Hampel interviewed Betty MacDonald's family and other famous writers and artists.
Wolfgang Hampel's Betty MacDonald and Ma and Pa Kettle biography and Betty MacDonald Interviews are very popular all over the world.
Wolfgang Hampel is also famous for his satirical poems and stories.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Wolfgang Hampel, Betty MacDonald and great activities

Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter March will be one of the most fascinating ones.

March
is a very exciting month for Betty MacDonald fan club fans with several
contests for example Betty MacDonald fan club birthday contest.

One of Betty MacDonald's wonderful friends celebrates birthday in March.

Tell us the name please and you might be the winner of a Betty MacDonald documentary.

Are you going to visit Seattle's French Fest?

I'd like to meet Brad Craft and his outstanding bookstore too.

( more info below )

We already got many birthday cards.

Don't miss Betty MacDonald fan club birthday contest, please.

Betty MacDonald fan club birthday card contest is really a great idea.

The winner who sent the best and most original birthday card will be Honor
guest of the next International Betty MacDonald fan club event.

Deadline: March 15, 2016

A Betty MacDonald fan club birthday exhibit with many very special birthday cards by Betty MacDonald's family and friends.

You'll be able to see wonderful cards for Betty MacDonald with very touching messages for example by her daughter Joan MacDonald Keil or her good friend Monica Sone. ( see info below ' Betty MacDonald and The plague and I )

There will be a Betty MacDonald fan club birthday event DVD available.

Join us in voting for your favourite city, please.

Don't miss this video, please.

You can see brilliant Brad Craft.

Seems I'm in this for a hot second. I remember being asked to
participate one day on the street in front of the bookstore where I
work. I didn't think to ask what it was for, or even so much as the
name of the song or the band. Didn't want to be late coming back from
lunch. Silly bugger. The very nice young woman with the green hair
also featured herein happens to work at Magus Books. She mentioned
she'd seen me. Told me the name of the band, and here we are.

Now in its fourth year, the French Fest at Seattle
Center is a part of the Seattle Center’s FESTÁL cultural event series
and attracts 5,000 visitors. The event is free and open to the public
(no admittance tickets are required). French Fest draws its inspiration
from the worldwide “Day of Francophonie,” organized in over 100
countries each March to celebrate the diversity of Francophone cultures
and traditions around the world. During the Seattle event,
festival-goers of all ages have an opportunity to enjoy many activities –
all with a “French” twist: live music, theater and dance performances,
French cuisine, book sales, informative seminars and demonstrations,
“best baguette” contest, games and more. The event
also features a unique Career Expo (Salon de l’Emploi) with the
participation of local and international companies seeking French
speakers and workshops led by employment professionals. The event is
organized by the nonprofit organization, France Education Northwest,
with the support of Seattle Center FESTÁL, the French-American Chamber
of Commerce of the Pacific Northwest, the Consular Agency of France in
Seattle, Coca-Cola, Alaska Airlines, T-Mobile and other key supporters.Follow our Facebook page for more info https://www.facebook.com/SeattleFrenchFest/?ref=hl

Join
the community for Seattle’s 3rd Annual French Fest: A Celebration of
French-Speaking Cultures on March 20, 2016 at Seattle Center Armory.

Seattle's
French Fest is free, family-friendly and open to the public with the
purpose of promoting and raising awareness of Francophone cultures and
traditions to the residents of the Greater Seattle area. During the
one-day event, festival-goers will listen to live music, watch dance
performances, taste international cuisine, learn from informative
seminars and cooking demonstrations, play games and enjoy a day full of
fun activities en français!

Seattle's
French Fest: A Celebration of French-Speaking Cultures is presented in
partnership with France Education Northwest, under the auspices of the
Consular Agency of France.

After
much controversy and a hastily assembled national final, Germany has
put the drama of the past behind it and selected its act for Stockholm.
Germany’s representative for 2016 is Jamie-Lee with “Ghost”.The 10 finalists performed at the final of Unser Lied für Stockholm.
The 100% televote put Avantasia, Alex Diehl and Jamie-Lee Kriewitz
through to the superfinal. And from there, Jamie-Lee won the second
vote, and with it the ticket to Stockholm.Also performing at the national final were German hand The BossHoss,
who performed Dolly Parton’s song “Jolene”, and 2014 Eurovision
runners-up The Common Linnets.In November last year, German broadcaster NDR announced that instead
of a traditional national final, R&B singer Xavier Naidoo had been
internally selected, with his song to be chosen by the German public.
However, after much protest, the broadcaster cancelled this process and
instead launched a standard national final with 10 competing acts.

Our first reaction to her win

Unser Lied für Stockholm finalists

Alex Diehl “Nur ein Lied”

Avantasia “Mystery of a Blood Red Rose”

Ella Endlich “Adrenalin”

Gregorian “Masters of Chant”

Jamie-Lee Kriewitz “Ghost”

Joco “Full Moon”

Keøma “Protected”

Laura Pinski “Under the Sun We Are One”

Luxuslärm “Solange Liebe in mir wohnt”

Woods of Birnam “Lift Me Up (From the Underground)”

So, what do you think? Did the right song win in Germany, or will we see the Ann Sophie effect once again?

George Vasileiadis

George Vasileiads is a wiwiblogger based in Kastoria, Greece. He
became a Eurovision enthusiast back in 2009, when he saw Alexander Rybak
playing the violin on stage in Moscow en route to receiving a legendary
387 points. He is a first-year high school student and dreams of
watching the Eurovision Grand Final live. You can follow him on twitter @george_ESC_GR

And “Black Smoke” last year DID NOT deserve its 0 points. This, on the contrary, maybe.

MTDFebruary 26, 2016 @ 11:36 am

Did Germany used the on-screen graphics that she used back in
2011 when hosting (and in 2012 when producing) again? And in like every
other year in between?Brainpool, you little production un-inovative house. LOLDon’t like the song neither the staging. I doubt someone would vote en masse for this.

KatyFebruary 26, 2016 @ 11:34 am

I like the song right up until the end of the first chorus- but
when you realise theres no progression and the whole of the song sounds
the same, it gets a little dull.

With the Bookies already factoring Jamie-Lee in at No.5 in the
betting Germany took a huge risk dressing Jamie-Lee like that. They
obviously wanted her to look young and it was tighter than it needed to
be. She is quirky and has a unique dress style, but at the ESC final the
viewers won’t know it or get it. Now she has won, they will of course
change it, but they must not change her quirkiness. They should focus on
the dramatic song, vocals and staging and her styling needs to fit in
with all of that otherwise it might be considered a novelty act.I would also remove the backing singers from the stage, but they are
probably there to provide support to the teenager. She has sung it much
better of course and that needs to be perfected if she wants to do
really well. Other than that it’s a REALLY good entry.Ralph Siegel? He should call it a day now, Laura’s “Under the Sun We
Are One” was just very dated and very very poor, he just does not
understand the current ESC and so out of touch.

BrkFebruary 26, 2016 @ 9:43 am

1. Austria
2. Cyprus
3. Germany
4. Iceland
5. Spain
Italy is my second but they will change the song so that’s why I don’t include it
If Switzerland improves the live performance they will make my topI hope Bulgaria finds a decent song for Poli.

TravisFebruary 26, 2016 @ 8:49 am

I think her 3 minute version on “The Voice” Final was better than
yesterday…also her singing was not as good as usual (partwise it was
actually bad) =/ hope she will do better and change the outfit… (Her
outfit in the voice finals was so nice…I know I’m living in the past^^)

She sounds like she’s desperately trying to be Chvrches and
failing badly…to be honest I end up focusing on how hideous her outfit
is, and ignore what could be a great song. Shame really.

oooopsFebruary 26, 2016 @ 7:40 am

Avantasia

Ben RafterFebruary 26, 2016 @ 7:32 am

She was definitely the best last night, however the song is SO boring.

JoyceFebruary 26, 2016 @ 7:16 am

The problem with this performance is that the focus is mainly on
the dress and how she looks. And the way she looks made the song itself
kind of invisible.
I as tv watcher, could not connect with the song at all, and at the end
the only thing I remembered was how Jamie lee looked. I could not
remember the song…
Most people see her just once, the focus has to be right for people to connect to it!

KrermaFebruary 26, 2016 @ 7:08 am

Welcome to the bottom Germany, and who knows… Maybe a back-to-back 0 points? Its very possible…

LeafFebruary 26, 2016 @ 5:12 am

It’s a good song, I love the stage tho HATE what she’s wearing
……. I would prefer her to even be in a sheet and pretend to be a ghost
instead of Trolly from the Dolly Style.
But all in all, I find it very nicely written, very well produced and
well sung ……. Tho she needs to relax a bit on stage, in some shots she
looked terrified.
All in All,
7.5 out of 10, but what do I know …… Last year Ann Sophie was in my top 10.

fikriFebruary 26, 2016 @ 4:45 am

wth. gregorian should’ve won!

CookyMonztaFebruary 26, 2016 @ 4:31 am

@moco: You’re not the only one. I thought Keøma would steal it.
And is it just me, or does part of Jamie-Lee’s chorus remind anyone of
Rihanna’s “Umbrella”?

MaryFebruary 26, 2016 @ 3:24 am

She’s a mix of Dolly Style and Kerli, but in a very bad way.

BrianFebruary 26, 2016 @ 2:06 am

This is a good song, I wanted her to win despite the outfit, but I
personally think she should change it for Stockholm. You may be
extravagant but this is just a matter of simple bad taste

AdamFebruary 26, 2016 @ 1:18 am

i just really can’t see the hype with this song tbh. It’s not bad
and she’s a good singer but I just find this sooo boring and typical
and nothing really special, the fact that its 3rd-4th favorite to win
confuses me.

never forgetFebruary 26, 2016 @ 1:16 am

It sound like mix of Malta and Switzerland song from 2015, and costume is mix of Dolly Style and Yohio from MF .

euranaFebruary 26, 2016 @ 1:08 am

I can see something YOHIO in her. I do not think that this will
be ok in Stockholm, but I am not impressed. Currently my number 9 in
personal top.

jowncarloFebruary 26, 2016 @ 1:07 am

YES! After having my heart broken by Belgium (Team Frantzis) and Italy (Team Strawberry), Germany just made me so happy.My only problem with ‘Ghost’ is how they cut it. I’ve been jamming to
it for weeks now and was waiting patiently for the three-minute
version. I was really disappointed when they remove the bridge. It was
the perfect build-up for the final chorus.I uploaded my suggested version on YouTube, and hopefully it will
make it to the Germany team. Sadly, it’s already blocked there. I don’t
know. I just wish they will change how they cut the song for Stockholm.https://youtu.be/en1TKdVO1jk

dramalamaFebruary 26, 2016 @ 12:39 am

all im goinh yo say is this. the dongs where rubbish apart from
2. if the uk sent these in their nf you would all be moaning and
groaning fact.

DenisFebruary 26, 2016 @ 12:29 am

For me this song is meh. Not bad but really not that interesting
either, the typical harmless entries you find every year. Perhaps it
needs a memorable chorus?
This is one of those that either will get in top 10 or bottom 10, so
hard to predict. At least it’s better than the German entries we had
these last years.

John ChristianFebruary 25, 2016 @ 11:58 pm

Very happy, indeed, for my CRUSH. She’s very CUTE.

AlexFebruary 25, 2016 @ 11:38 pm

This was the best choice of the 3 songs in the superfinal, and
this should lead to a better outcome for Germany this time. I like the
song personally.

AndrewFebruary 25, 2016 @ 11:37 pm

I`m ukrainian who happens to live in Germany. I want to say that
from first look I don`t like this performance. Yes, song is ok, yes,
vocal is good. But it is not something exciting… Maybe I should watch
once more.

FreyahFebruary 25, 2016 @ 11:30 pm

My new top 5:
1. Iceland
2. Italy
3. GERMANY
4. Switzerland
5. Malta

brunowskiiFebruary 25, 2016 @ 11:04 pm

As trash as Ann Sophie. .. sadly Germany null point

TheFlowFebruary 25, 2016 @ 11:03 pm

I didnt have to ask myself “Is it right” (or is it wrong?!) to
send this to Stockholm. I’m sure Germany wont deliver a “Glorious”
performence with this, “No no NEVER”! Since Roman Lob there hasnt been
an improvement, development is “Standing Still” and I just want to “Run
and hide” from this mess or hope for Jamie Lee to “Disappear” and vanish
like “Black Smoke” after a fire. Jamie Lee is no “Miss Kiss Kiss Bang”
and when I see her I only think “Wadde hadde du denn da”?! So “Lets get
happy” and hope the victory in Sweden will be “Taken by a (yet)
stranger”, as I dont think any of the songs that has been selected so
far will have any chance of winning. No… Seriously. Televoting only? I cant decide who has the worst taste in Germany, the (SO CALLED) expert-Jury or the audiences.

davveFebruary 25, 2016 @ 11:00 pm

I think Laura Pinski would have been the best choice. I like this
song.. but it is kind of a “whatever” song in my opinion.. you neither
love it or hate it… it will likelt score between 15th to 20th place I
predict.

mocosuburbianFebruary 25, 2016 @ 10:54 pm

while in the past week I grew to like Keoma over Kriewitz, this song is still right up my alley. great choice by Germany.
1) Ukraine , 2) Italy, 3) Germany, 4) Iceland, 5) Belgium, 6) Cyprus, 7) Austria, 8) Denmark, 9) Switzerland, 10) Albania

ct_greeceFebruary 25, 2016 @ 10:47 pm

It’s the third year in a row Germany sends some lesser version of
Lena to the contest. Elaiza had the quirkiness, Ann Sophie had the
sassiness and Jamie Lee has the …awkardness of Lena. And this will be
yet another year that they will struggle to reach the top-20.Perhaps they should try some good-looking male singer for a change next year. Remember Roman Lob? He did well.

BriekimchiFebruary 25, 2016 @ 10:40 pm

Excellent choice, looking forward to seeing her in Stockholm!

KjetilFebruary 25, 2016 @ 10:37 pm

I’m from Germany, and yeah, I’m happy

GraphFebruary 25, 2016 @ 10:29 pm

I have mixed thoughts about this song but by the standards of this year so far it’s pretty good.My Top 5:1. Albania
2. Malta
3. Bosnia & Herzegovina
4. Austria
5. Germany

RacalFebruary 25, 2016 @ 10:24 pm

Not bad but boring… I couldn’t listen until the end, it felt like
it lasted for 25 minutes. And what’s with the Sailor Moon outfit?As I said, not bad but certainly doesn’t scream winner.

dutchieFebruary 25, 2016 @ 10:17 pm

@charles
I don’t understand it either. I don’t feel anything when I listen to this song. Oh well, to each his own, I guess.

A just ok song (not terrible but you do feel it drags on and on
for no reason at all) made worse by her bad singing, uncomfortable stage
presence and terrible outfit. She may improve by May, but I am afraid
this is one of these filler songs that will pass completely unnoticed,
like Elaiza. I didn’t like Gregorian that much, but at least they would
get the audience’s attention and some votes. At least this year the
germans have the excuse that none of the songs on offer were any good,
unlike the previous two years when they had the songs but made the wrong
choices.#1 Ukraine
#2 Austria
#3 Switzerland
#4 Spain
#5 Cyprus
#6 Malta
#7 Denmark
#8 Iceland
#9 Germany
#10 Ireland
#11 Bosnia Herzegovina
#12 Belgium
#13 Georgia
#14 Belarus

I predicted the superfinal, very obvious for German audiences AND
Again…. My country disappointed me…BIG TIME. I mean, the pre selection
was awful enough. Best act of the night were the Common Linnets, as an
Interval act
Avantasia would have deserved the win, at least they would stand out in
Stockholm. With that Manga-Jailbate it will be – again – a disaster.
Maybe not 0 points, but definitely lower right hand side of the ranking.
This song makes me fall asleep… They should have done it like
Finland…1:20 is enough for that song. Heard a verse, the chorus…and
theres not more to it, just a sleeping pill.

ÖsterrikeFebruary 25, 2016 @ 10:05 pm

This song contest is shaping up to become extremely boring. ALL
songs are so snoozy and unoriginal, I cannot take it anymore. Maybe I
should skip this year and fast forward to 2017. This years motto should
be “43 shades of grey”….. Germany is the center of boredom so far.

AndersPFebruary 25, 2016 @ 9:58 pm

Wow, love this song. If this ends up at the bottom like Black
Smoke it will be an utter travesty. I really hope featuring the big 5 in
the semi finals will neutralise the under marking of songs like this.

PedroFebruary 25, 2016 @ 9:56 pm

Is she competing for the Barbara Dex Award?

ohhhFebruary 25, 2016 @ 9:53 pm

We can say only one – next deserved 0 pts for Germany. Call
Xavier Naidoo, tell him sorry and choose a song for him. Because this
is… Who can vote for this average pop? Nobody. What is wrong with
Germany last two years?

ÖsterrikeFebruary 25, 2016 @ 9:52 pm

Certainly the best German entry since 2012, but she cannot keep
up with lovely Lena. Satellite and Taken by a stranger were much
stronger, Ghost sounds kinda like a forgettable lullaby

ben005February 25, 2016 @ 9:51 pm

With more confidence she could finish in top 10.

DenizNLFebruary 25, 2016 @ 9:50 pm

Vwry happy with this. Jamie Lee is a very beautiful girl and she
has good vocals (that’s why she won The Voice). Ghost is an awesome
song. This will actually be an awesome year!(Oh and I didn’t expect the Common Linnets to be there xD)

Robyn GallagherFebruary 25, 2016 @ 9:49 pm

I know Jamie-Lee is already hugely popular in Germany and that’s
not something that can be replicated in Stockholm, but “Ghost” is a
really decent song that – all going well – will be one of the stand-out
performances at the grand final.I’m not sure about her anime styling, though. It looks like she’s
assembled her outfit from Dolly Style’s discarded costumes from Melfest
2015.

MarFebruary 25, 2016 @ 9:47 pm

Great choice, Germany! Straight to my #1. I do hope that they
work on the staging and her overall presence so that the chorus can pack
more of a punch.

David WhoFebruary 25, 2016 @ 9:46 pm

Well done Germany. I always liked that song ever since it came
out at the end of last year. She’s very young but she feels real enough
on stage to do well; I think perhaps winning ‘The Voice of Germany’ has
given her more skills and added confidence. I look forward to her
performance in the final of ESC.

CharlesFebruary 25, 2016 @ 9:43 pm

Elle Henderson’s Ghost sounds way better than this … it just goes
nowhere with no emotion or conviction in the vocal performance.
Whatever reason why people here love here is beyond me.

This song is growing on me and she was amazing live. Only thing
that bothers me is her presence at stage, she seems a little
uncomfortable. I hope she’ll be working on that until May!

cheesecakeFebruary 25, 2016 @ 9:36 pm

So happy about the results. Fantastic performance, outstanding
song, lovely artist. Straight to my #1 and hopefully in the top 10 in
Stockholm!

AlexFebruary 25, 2016 @ 9:36 pm

I heard the songs for the first time tonight and the only ones
that caught my attention were Gregorian and Alex Diehl. Alex Diehl ended
up being my favourite as you could see that the song meant something to
him. So in my opinion Germany has made a big mistake in sending Jamie
Lee who just stood there and sung a song that went nowhere.

PPFebruary 25, 2016 @ 9:35 pm

She is best of that 3 songs in supefinal. I don t know why with Gregorian didn t sing Amelia Brightman younger sister of Sarah.

EdreFebruary 25, 2016 @ 9:34 pm

God, she’s so cute I’d like to hug her! And the song’s not bad at
all, it could place high just like Germany 2012, the style is quite
similar. Actually, it’s my second place.1. Ukraine
2. Germany
3. Iceland
4. Cyprus
5. Switzerland

Firstly well done Germany THAT is how you do a National Final, no gaps or ridiculous chat between songs. No messing.Secondly well done Germany again for doing the right thing THAT is some song and staging, not sure about the outfit though.This is a strong contender; she has the charm and the charisma and
really connects with the audience and has the star quality needed to do
well. This has a chance of doing very very well indeed.

MGRFebruary 25, 2016 @ 9:30 pm

sexy

ColinFebruary 25, 2016 @ 9:30 pm

Congratulations, Germany! Great song won! Lovely lyrics, great
voice, also catchy and commercial enough. I think Germany has a legit
shot at winning this year.

Visit our VK Partners

Number of migrants swells on closed Greece-Macedonia border

The
number of migrants awaiting passage to central and northern Europe
swelled on Greece's border with Macedonia on Wednesday as the frontier
remained shut, adding to a humanitarian crisis and deep fissures within
the European Union.Aid
workers said the situation at Idomeni, a small border town in northern
Greece, could easily spin out of control with no let-up in the number of
refugees gathering for passage into Macedonia.Living
in filth, families with small children jostled for space in waterlogged
fields, waiting for a crack in the border fence, which Macedonian
authorities opened intermittently.By midday on Wednesday the border had opened once, Greek police said, allowing 170 people through."There are 11,000 people here and conditions are very bad," said Antonis Rigas of charity Medicins Sans Frontieres. "We worry that if it exceeds 12,000 the situation might get out of hand," he said.

Macedonian
authorities have defended their stance. "Our daily admittance of
migrants will depend on how many will be accepted in EU countries,"
Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski, told reporters in Skopje."It
is very important to secure humane treatment and admit these people,
but it’s no less important that we protect the Macedonian citizens and
police."Macedonian police fired
tear gas to disperse hundreds of migrants who stormed the border from
Greece on Monday, tearing down a metal gate. The European Union has called an emergency summit with Turkey
on March 7, hoping for a consensus to implement an accord on the
distribution of refugees and migrants fleeing conflict and poverty in
the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. Many arrive in Greece on
small, unsafe, boats from Turkey.More than one million people fled Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan last year. Around 131,000 have reached Europe so far in 2016.At
Idomeni, a grassy plain, a tent community was growing rapidly in the
mud, stretching resources to the limit. The average wait for a small
package of food consisting of a sandwich and a boiled egg was two to
three hours.Some people had no shelter."We
will sleep on the ground," said Hassan Fatahalla, 25, from Idlib in
northwest Syria, who arrived at the camp with his wife Shakeri, nine
months' pregnant. "We want to go to Germany ... it will be a better future for the baby."People
continued to arrive as dusk approached, many of them on foot. An
elderly couple, both in wheelchairs, made their way to the makeshift
camp. A younger family emptied a wheelie bin and placed their two
children in it, rolling it down the road. (Additional reporting by Kole Casule in Skopje, Writing By Michele Kambas; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

About Me

Betty MacDonald Fan Club, founded by Wolfgang Hampel, has members in 40 countries.
Wolfgang Hampel, author of Betty MacDonald biography interviewed Betty MacDonald's family and friends. His Interviews have been published on CD and DVD by Betty MacDonald Fan Club. If you are interested in the Betty MacDonald Biography or the Betty MacDonald Interviews send us a mail, please.
Several original Interviews with Betty MacDonald are available.
We are also organizing international Betty MacDonald Fan Club Events for example, Betty MacDonald Fan Club Eurovision Song Contest Meetings in Oslo and Düsseldorf, Royal Wedding Betty MacDonald Fan Club Event in Stockholm and Betty MacDonald Fan Club Fifa Worldcup Conferences in South Africa and Germany.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club Honour Members are Monica Sone, author of Nisei Daughter and described as Kimi in Betty MacDonald's The Plague and I, Betty MacDonald's nephew, artist and writer Darsie Beck, Betty MacDonald fans and beloved authors and artists Gwen Grant, Letizia Mancino, Perry Woodfin, Traci Tyne Hilton, Tatjana Geßler, music producer Bernd Kunze, musician Thomas Bödigheimer, translater Mary Holmes and Mr. Tigerli.